Brotherly Love
by Oracle
Summary: Wildwing's thoughts tear him up inside when Nosedive is injured. Has he failed as a brother?
1. Prologue

Brotherly Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mighty Ducks, etc., etc., and all that other fun legal stuff.  
  
~This is my first try at a MD ficcie, hopefully it turned out all right! Please R&R if you have the chance, thanks~  
  
::Prologue::  
  
"Hey, Dive . . . you in here?"  
  
Wildwing had systematically been searching for his brother for the last few minutes. They had a game tomorrow and needed to get a practice in that same day, earlier in the morning. It was almost midnight and Wildwing wanted to make sure that everyone got a good night's rest. That was no problem for the others of course, but considering how his brother liked to stay up eating junk food and watching the weirdest late night sci-fi movies, he knew he was going to most likely have to negotiate or yell in order to get Dive to his room. He thought he might luck out and find Dive in his room reading comics, but no luck there. So he proceeded to check the kitchen, the main computer area, the gym, and now finally the living room where the large TV and couches were located.  
  
Wildwing poked his head into the dark room as the doors swished open and called for his brother. The TV was on, but there was no sign of Dive.  
  
"Come on Dive, you're here somewhere . . . it's time to get some sleep."  
  
Quietly he made his way into the room, unsure of whether his younger brother was hiding in the shadows somewhere, waiting to pull yet another one of his pranks.  
  
"Dive?"  
  
He called out again. He'd reached the TV and sofas and peered over to see what mess his brother may have left. A smile etched its way onto his face and he sighed softly. Going over to the storage closet he grabbed a blanket and headed back to the sofas. Nosedive was fast asleep on the middle one, looking quite peaceful sprawled out with an arm and a leg only half on the sofa, a comic on the floor directly under him. Carefully sitting next to his brother, Wildwing proceeded to pull off his brother's shoes before gently pulling both legs fully up onto the sofa. Pulling out the blanket he proceeded to drape it over his brother's sleeping form, bending down to set the comic up on the table. He glanced down at his brother again before using the remote to turn off the TV.  
  
"Night, baby bro."  
  
He said quietly before making his way through the dark room back to the door.  
  
"Night, Wing."  
  
Came a very soft and sleepy mumble as the doors opened. Wildwing smiled again as the doors closed behind him and he headed for his room. 


	2. Chapter One

::Chapter One::  
  
It seemed odd to Wildwing, now as he sat thinking, but it had never fully occurred to him the fact that his brother was just a kid. Dive was his younger brother, a teammate, and a friend...but also just a kid. Thinking about it now, it surprised him how all this time it had never come to his attention. Sure Dive was goofy and loud, always wearing this big grin and ready to have a good time. But he was such a great hockey player as well; giving a hundred and ten percent out on the ice and always followed orders when it really counted. He was also a pretty good fighter, always managing to make it away from a confrontation with the Saurians pretty much unscathed. Wildwing supposed he'd never reflected on just how much younger his brother was compared to the rest of the team, just how more vulnerable than the rest of them he was, until now..until he was hurt.  
  
With a pained look Wildwing glanced down towards the bed directly beside him. To his brother's sleeping form, torso bandaged, looking so much smaller and younger looking than before. This time Dive hadn't been able to come away as lucky as he normally did when they dealt with Dragaunus and the others.  
  
The team had just finished their game, winning as usual, when Drake I sounded an alarm. The Saurians were up to something again, and the team quickly changed their gear and headed out in the Migrator to stop them. When they arrived on the scene, an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the Saurians were almost finished with whatever it was they were up to this particular night. The Ducks quickly got into action, racing out of the Migrator, puck launchers drawn and ready. Using nearby crates as shields they each proceeded to make their way towards the only two Saurians present, or so they thought, Siege and Chameleon. Mallory and Tanya headed for Chameleon as the others made their way towards Siege. They hadn't expected Wraith to come from behind, catching them off guard, and it ended up that Wildwing, Grin and Duke suddenly found themselves busy with Wraith - leaving Nosedive one on one with Siege. The surprise addition of the ancient Saurian didn't give Nosedive enough time to react to the changing situation and all too quickly he found himself hanging upside down in the air. He grimaced in pain as Siege dangled him a couple feet from the ground by his ankle.  
  
"Man, you just keep on getting uglier and uglier!"  
  
Nosedive managed out as the blood began to rush to his head. Siege sneered, eyes narrowing,  
  
"I wonder just how easily you birds snap in two."  
  
He growled. Nosedive managed a smile in response, thinking quickly on how he could get Big n' Ugly distracted enough to let him go. His puck launcher would have to do, he supposed. With swift reflexes he yanked his gun out from behind him, aimed right between the big lizard's eyes and fired off two pucks. He knew it wouldn't damage the lizard as much as he'd like, but it would be enough to throw him off guard. He was right. Siege snarled as the pucks bounced off him, making him close his eyes for a moment. In that moment his grip loosened just enough to allow Nosedive to kick him forcefully on the head in order to make him let go completely. As soon as his foot was free Dive kicked off, using Siege's head as his springboard. The Saurian growled angrily as the duck landed on the ground a few feet away. Dive grimaced visibly and had to land on one knee as he gingerly touched his ankle. The vice-like grip the lizard had been using on the duck's ankle was already beginning to leave a large and visible bruise.  
  
"Didn't your mom ever teach you to play nice!?"  
  
Nosedive retorted as Siege began advancing towards him. In the meantime, Tanya and Mallory had had no problems making short work of Chameleon, and they then began helping the other three deal with Wraith. Unfortunately the older lizard had chosen to concoct a thick fog just then and the Ducks found themselves lost in darkness. Nosedive had been attempting to make his way closer to the others when he was surrounded in the fog, leaving Siege a prime moment to come from behind and surprise him. Wildwing heard a momentary yelp, followed by a harsh sounding crunch. The empty feeling in his stomach told him it was Nosedive who was in trouble, but deep in the middle of the fog he hadn't a clue where his brother exactly was.  
  
"I think it is time that we take our leave."  
  
Wraith said, the fog receding as he did so. Nosedive had been thrust against a wall by Siege, feeling a few things crunch as the lizard pressed hard against him. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to clear the spots that were appearing in his vision. I'd really prefer not to become a permanent part of this wall, he thought to himself, clenching his jaw against the blinding pain. Then he saw Wraith and Chameleon reach for their transporters about the same time as Siege released his hold on him. With a sickening thud he hit the floor as all three lizards de-materialized.  
  
"Dive!"  
  
He heard his older brother call out, his voice laced with worry and fear. Dive's vision was blurred as he raised his head as much as he could, trying to locate the direction of his brother's voice. Wildwing had immediately begun looking around for his brother when the fog lifted, quickly sprinting off in his direction as soon as he saw him on the floor. Hang on, little bro, just hang in there, Wildwing thought frantically. Nosedive was weakly trying to pull himself up on his knees as Wildwing reached his side.  
  
"Dive, can you hear me?"  
  
Wildwing asked as he began helping his brother to his feet.  
  
"Mmm, yeah, I can.soon as the buzzing in my head stops . . . .you get the license plate of that tornado at all?"  
  
He somehow managed to quip, earning a small smile from his older brother. The throbbing in his head grew more painful just then, and he found himself leaning more heavily against his brother as the surroundings around him began to swirl.  
  
"Wing?"  
  
He managed to get out,  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
". . I . . I think I'm . . . gonna pass out--"  
  
Which he proceeded to do as soon as the words left his mouth.  
  
"Dive!"  
  
Wildwing said in surprise and alarm, his brother suddenly going completely limp. Swiftly he pulled his brother up into his arms, cradling him as gently as possible.  
  
"Wildwing, is he gonna be oka--"  
  
Duke began as he and the others jogged up to their captain. The former thief, and oldest of their team, could see the worry etched in Wing's eyes and face.  
  
"Come on, I want to get back to the Pond. Now."  
  
Was all he said, his voice strained as made his way past the others and to the Migrator. 


	3. Chapter Two

::Chapter Two::  
  
"I'm so sorry, Dive."  
  
Wildwing whispered, still beside his littler brother's side, which he hadn't budged from for the past seven hours since they'd arrived back at the Pond. Tanya had immediately begun checking their youngest member out once they had gotten him into the infirmary and onto one of the beds. She had Wildwing pull off Nosedive's upper armor in order to check out his chest as she pulled off his boots. His right ankle already had a large, dark bruise showing easily through his feathers. Once she was sure it wasn't broken she began wrapping it with a large bandage. Wildwing had glanced down as he was laying his brother's upper armor to the side; seeing the bruised ankle sent a sharp feeling of anger pulsing through his body and he found himself clenching his fists. How could he have let this happen? He should have made sure his brother had been right beside him . . . how could he have left him on his own . . . with Siege no less? Tanya, moving closer to him in order to check out Nosedive's chest and abdomen, shook him away from his thoughts, momentarily at least.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"Well, uh, certainly not his best, that's for sure."  
  
The bespectacled duck began. She had Wildwing prop Nosedive up a little so that she could bandage most of his chest as she continued addressing his question.  
  
"But, overall, I think he'll be okay. Nosedive, you know, he always bounces back pretty fast. Eh, but he wont be bouncing around for a few days with his ankle in that shape, of course. And he's got a few broken ribs, not to mention his entire torso being about as bruised as it could get."  
  
The words, she could tell, visibly affected Wildwing who let out a low sigh.  
  
"Thanks Tanya. Why don't you get some sleep, I'll watch him."  
  
"Wildwing, are you sure? You haven't left his side since we got back. One of the others or myself will gladly watch Nosedive for a few hours."  
  
She knew that what she was saying was pointless, in fact she probably would have had more success with a brick wall, but she attempted to persuade him nonetheless. He shook his head as she expected, promptly sitting back down in the chair he'd spent a few hours on already. Giving a last once over of Nosedive, Tanya quietly made her way out of the infirmary for the night. Wildwing edged the chair closer to his brother, slipping his much larger hand tightly around his brother's limp one.  
  
"Dive, can you hear me? Please wake up soon. I'm so sorry, baby bro . . . I should have been there to watch you, to protect you."  
  
Wildwing sighed again, his thoughts tearing him up inside. Was this all his fault? His brother was so much younger than all of them, just a teenager whereas the rest of them were in their twenties and thirties. He realized that they all put a lot more responsibility on him then he deserved, and though he acted his age, he did always pull through for them. Always worked hard at practice, never missing a game, giving it his all no matter how tired he might be. He might be impulsive and had risked his neck a few more times than Wildwing cared to think about, but Nosedive also had incredibly quick reflexes and a sharp mind to boot. Perhaps that's why it had never occurred to Wildwing that his brother was so much more different than the rest of them, and how differently their situation affected him. He was just a kid, still was a kid really, when the Saurians invaded Puckworld and took over. Wildwing swallowed hard as he reflected back on those few harsh months during which he and Dive had been in the camps. He thanked the stars that he and his brother hadn't been separated or that one or the other hadn't experienced the same fate as their parents.  
  
Wildwing closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He had never told Nosedive, who had stubbornly held onto the belief that their parents were most likely in another camp, but he knew for a fact that their parents were gone. The house, their neighborhood, had been one of the first things demolished, and some close friends of the family had told him that their parents had been killed early on in the invasion. No way he could, or would ever tell his baby brother that. He'd seen too many other people change so drastically when such a tragedy came upon them. And he couldn't bear the thought of his brother never having that youthful energy, that optimistic outlook on life, ever again. There was no way in Puckworld that he would have left his brother behind either, like Canard had wanted when his friend had found the two of them a few months later in the camps. The safest place for Nosedive was being alongside his brother, nowhere else. Nosedive had no one else, and Wildwing would never be able to make sure that his brother was safe unless he was with him. Canard had understood that of course, but he also didn't want to risk being responsible for a child, nor the possibility of the kid actually dying. Wildwing would have never forgiven his best friend if something like that happened, but Canard knew that he'd never be able to part the two brothers, and in the end, he really didn't want to.  
  
Wildwing yawned tiredly, trying to force his eyes to stay open and focused on his brother. He couldn't fall asleep, not just now. What if Dive woke up, needed him? He had to keep alert. Of course his body had other plans, and despite a few more minutes of struggling, sleep finally consumed the leader of the Mighty Ducks. 


	4. Chapter Three

::Chapter Three::  
  
"Still nothin'?"  
  
Duke questioned as he entered the infirmary with two cups of coffee. Wildwing awoke with a start, immediately berating himself for having fallen asleep. Quickly he glanced at his brother, sighing inwardly when it looked like nothing had changed. Without really paying attention he took one of the cups of coffee that Duke offered him silently. He looked down at the swirls of steam coming from the mug.  
  
"Thanks, Duke."  
  
He said quietly, letting the cup sit and warm his hands.  
  
"No problem."  
  
Duke paused to sip his drink for a moment.  
  
"You can't start, or continue rather, to blame yourself ya know."  
  
Wildwing remained quiet, which the gray duck had expected. He grabbed a nearby chair and set it next to Wildwing.  
  
"Come on, Wildwing. You know it, and I know it. You're not going to always be able to watch Nosedive 24/7, there's nothing wrong with that. He's young, he's smart, and he can take care of himself.for the most part. He needs you, that's what's important, but you can't expect to be able to keep an eye on him all the time, every single day."  
  
"But I took him away from our planet. How could I do that? Look at all we, he, has had to endure here. Sure, this planet isn't all that bad, I rather like it.but it's not Puckworld, it's not home. Things are most likely okay back there, and Nosedive could be leading a normal life right now, instead of being stuck here with us."  
  
The tone in Duke's voice grew a little firmer in response.  
  
"Look, Wildwing, you know as well as I do that that just ain't true. In the first place, there's no way you would have left your brother there, who knows what could have happened to him, regardless of whether Puckworld is back to normal or not? And secondly, there's no way he would have left your side either, whether you had wanted him to or not. The kid adores you, idolizes you, that's easiest enough to see. If he doesn't listen to us, he'll always listen to you. He's always seeking your approval, and he's practically crestfallen whenever he ends up disappointing you. And we all know how much you love Nosedive, and that you'd do anything to protect him and keep him safe. You and I both know that the safest place for him is to be with you, to be right here with you now."  
  
Duke paused for a moment, taking in a few more sips of coffee and allowing the younger duck some time to think.  
  
Wildwing sighed inwardly. He knew Duke was right, he'd come to the same conclusion himself a little earlier. The two of them just couldn't be apart; it just didn't feel right to have one without the other. Nosedive needed Wildwing around just as much as he needed Nosedive. Dive was always so cheerful, always brightening the mood whenever Wildwing fell too deeply into thoughts and worries. He was goofy, lighthearted, and was a constant reminder to Wildwing that he was loved and that he also had someone that needed him. For Nosedive, he didn't know what he'd ever do without his big brother, and he never wanted to find out. His brother was always there to look after him, to keep him out of trouble, for the most part, and to be the constant presence of common sense that Nosedive needed to hear every now and again. Wildwing finally sipped a bit of his now lukewarm coffee. At first he had thought that maybe he should just have Dive play hockey and nothing else, no more helping them against Dragaunus. But even as he'd thought about it, he knew it was one of the stupidest ideas he'd ever had. They needed him, and more importantly, he knew there was no way that his little brother would ever forgive him if he tried to do that. But, Wildwing sighed. But, he couldn't deal with this happening, with the possibility of Nosedive being hurt again . . . or worse. Was there nothing he could do about it?  
  
"I know what you're thinking."  
  
Duke finally said as Wildwing pulled away from his thoughts to glance at his brother. The older mallard had been studying Wildwing as he had become lost deep in thought. Wildwing glanced up at him,  
  
"Which is?"  
  
Duke smiled.  
  
"Wonderin' whether it'd be possible to prevent this from ever happening again."  
  
He paused a moment, Wildwing's silence confirming that he'd been correct in his thoughts.  
  
"I understand Wildwing. How you wish you could be in control of everything when it comes to your brother. But it's just not possible, ya know? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen some of the time. The best thing you can do, which you've always been doing anyway, is to look out for him. There's really nothing more you can do . . . . You two, you two really have somethin' great. Somethin' I've never really seen before, even with how tight I was with some ducks in the Brotherhood of the Blade. This far surpasses anything I've felt or seen."  
  
Wildwing stared at him quizzically.  
  
"What do you mean, Duke?"  
  
Duke smiled, chuckling inwardly a little. He was amazed that, as smart and alert Wildwing seemed to be, how oblivious he could be to something that was so easy for others to see.  
  
"Love, Wildwing; brotherly love. I mean, you and Nosedive have it spades my friend. I've never seen anyone, on Puckworld or here so close, to friends, a sibling, anyone, as much as you and your brother are to each other."  
  
He leaned forward in the chair, momentarily laying his hand on Wildwing's shoulder.  
  
"And I know that that'll never change, ever. No matter how many bad things happen, what you two have will never fade, trust me."  
  
With that he rose from the chair, taking the still pretty much full cup of coffee from Wildwing's hand and heading out of the room without another word. 


	5. Chapter Four

::Chapter Four::  
  
Nosedive stirred gently, the pounding in his head that he'd felt early was back, but thankfully not as intense. As his eyes focused he realized that he was in the infirmary. That makes sense, he thought, especially with how I'm feeling right now. Turning his head slightly to his left he saw his brother dozing in a chair. A small grin made its way onto Nosedive's face, if he wasn't feeling like he'd been run over, he would have been planning some sort of joke on his brother before he woke up. Raising himself up to his elbows he glanced for the clock at the farther end of the room. Man, I must have been out of it for at least a day! He said to himself as he checked the time. Glancing over at his brother again he paused a moment in thought. Has Wing been here this whole time? It wouldn't surprise him, and he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of how much his brother must have worried over him this time.  
  
Nosedive sighed quietly. It had crossed his mind more than once that perhaps he was too much of a burden for the team . . . for his brother. Wing spent so much time looking after him, protecting him and making sure he'd be all right. For the most part he could take care of himself, but he knew his brother was just trying to fill the role of a brother, as well as a mother and father. That thought made him swallow hard and he chuckled bitterly to himself. He knew Wildwing thought he had know idea about what had happened back on Puckworld, but he'd been able to find out on his own. He loved his brother for trying to protect him, and he didn't want to worry his brother more by letting him know that he also knew that their parents were gone. That was one reason why Dive always acted the way he did. In general he really was just a regular teen with a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic, happy-go-lucky personality and a love for life; in general he just liked to have fun. But he also tried to do his best to help people, especially his brother. Being happy made his brother happy, and though they'd never admit it, he knew the rest of the team secretly enjoyed him breaking the tense moods that so often crept in.  
  
All this thinking was making him feel a little woozy again. Reaching back to gingerly rub the back of his head, Dive knew that Siege had enjoyed their encounter a lot more than he had. Stupid ugly lizard, he thought to himself. The slight rustling sounds he made as he moved woke his brother in an instant.  
  
"Dive!"  
  
Wildwing said with a start, jumping up from his chair. Nosedive gave a small grin.  
  
"Mornin' bro.or is it afternoon..night?"  
  
Wildwing sighed, dismissing his brother's joking around as he looked him over.  
  
"How are doing?"  
  
"Well, except for the slight headache . . . my ankle feeling like it's had a wrench used on it . . . . my chest hurting even when I think of breathing, and just an overall feeling of being sore as heck . . . then I'm just peachy, yourself?"  
  
His brother smiled,  
  
"I'm just fine, Dive. And Tanya said you had a slight concussion from hitting the wall, but that your headache's would be gone in a day or so."  
  
The smile faded and a look of worry crossed over Wildwing's face as he brought his chair closer to Nosedive's side and sat down.  
  
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"  
  
"No worries, bro. I'll be just fine."  
  
An awkward silence fell between them for a few moments. Nosedive staring down and Wildwing staring intently at the wall.  
  
"Bro, I'm so sorry."  
  
They both began in unison. Nosedive stared oddly at his older brother, who was returning the same look.  
  
"What?"  
  
Wildwing asked. Why in the world should his brother be sorry? It just didn't make sense to him. His younger brother swallowed, continuing to look downward.  
  
"I'm sorry for getting hurt. I mean, I really shouldn't have allowed Siege to get hold of me, I'm so much faster than he is . . I'd hope a lot smarter too . . . he . . he just took me by surprise. I'm sorry for making you worry about me too. You're always looking out for me and all I do is get in one mess after another, always getting in over my head or something. You shouldn't have to worry about me, and I only seem to make it worse for you . . . . I'm really sorry Wildwing."  
  
His older brother was completely dumbfounded. It had never once crossed his mind that his little brother might have thoughts similar to his - Duke had been right when they'd spoken earlier. Here he was worrying that he didn't look after his brother enough, that he'd failed, and yet his little brother was thinking that all he did was cause problems and was more trouble than he was worth. Wildwing didn't see it that way at all, and he felt bad that his brother was thinking that way.  
  
"No, Dive. It's my fault, I'm the one that should be sorry."  
  
Nosedive shook his head,  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because I'm your big brother, Dive. I'm supposed to look after you, to keep you out of trouble. I wasn't able to do either of those things last night."  
  
"But Wing, you're not going to always be able to watch me, you know."  
  
Wildwing nodded in agreement.  
  
"I know that, baby bro. And I also know that I don't need to look after you as much as I do. You're not that little anymore, and I shouldn't always treat you like you were. You're really responsible when it counts. But, well I worry about you . . . it's my job to, you know . . . . and I can't help but want to make sure that nothing bad happens to you."  
  
His little brother finally glanced up with a smile.  
  
"So, you're sorry . . and I'm sorry too . . . but neither of us should be?"  
  
Wildwing let out a laugh. What his brother had just said pretty much covered it, and he couldn't believe how ridiculous it sounded to him now. He nodded,  
  
"Yeah, I think that just pretty much covers it."  
  
Nosedive shifted over as his older brother settled down next to him on the bed. Wildwing wrapped his arm around his little brother's shoulders.  
  
"I love you, you know that, Dive?"  
  
"Even when I put worms in Mallory's shoes?"  
  
Wildwing bit back a smile. He scolded his brother whenever he did it, but he had to admit that he found it a bit amusing himself.  
  
"Yeah, even then, little bro."  
  
Nosedive let out a small sigh, leaning back against his brother, his eyes closed. Wildwing assumed he'd fallen asleep, and now that his brother had woken up and he knew he was okay, he was feeling rather exhausted himself. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head against it, and closed his eyes. Nosedive stirred slightly, his head lying against his brother's chest.  
  
"I love you too, big bro."  
  
THE END 


End file.
